ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ground — crushed
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. last — final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — to keep track
  15. last — finally
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. last — to go on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ground — a position
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com